


Surf, and Other Ways You Surprise Me

by AnxiousClarinetCat



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fluff, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not obvious but Conway is crushing just as hard as Dawn, Pining, Pokemon Contests, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnxiousClarinetCat/pseuds/AnxiousClarinetCat
Summary: Dawn runs into an old friend while at a Hoenn contest. He's different than she remembers. She's a little too okay with that.
Relationships: Hikari | Dawn & Kouhei | Conway, Hikari | Dawn/Kouhei | Conway
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	Surf, and Other Ways You Surprise Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is based on a Coordinator Conway design I found by NerdInSandals on Tumblr. The link is in the end notes if you'd like to see it! Also, I could not for the life of me find what gender Conway's Slowking is, so it's a she per my headcanon. Without further ado, please take almost 3k of Dawn having a crisis :D

Dawn perches on a bench, alone. Her foot taps rapidly against the hardwood floor of the waiting room. Other coordinators are gathered in clumps, but she can't bring herself to be friendly today. She's sure her jitters wouldn't give her much to say.

She knows that she shouldn't be nervous. It's not like she's never participated in a contest before; she's been claimed champion in Sinnoh _and_ Kanto! She should be able to handle the second round! 

Of course, the idea of a new region is always a little scary. Each area seems to have different strategies, all equally clever., and she has a feeling that Hoenn trainers are no joke.

She takes a deep breath. She'll be fine! At worst, she'll lost having learned something. No pain, no gain, right? With that, Dawn jumps to her feet. Meeting someone new is always fun, and it should help distract her.

Despite her resolve, she's still feeling a little awkward about being alone, so she frees Piplup from his Pokeball. "Wanna go talk to some of the other coordinators?" she offers. The penguin chirps in agreement.

She scoops him up and begins circling the room.

Quickly, she notices how different style seems to be here. While her outfits tended to be sparkly and eye-catching, many of the other coordinators dressed in an almost medevil style. Not really Dawn's scene, but she liked it!

Just as she gathers the courage to say hello to a friendly looking duo, Piplup begins to struggle in her arms.

"Piplup! Piplup, Piplup!"

"Hey! What're you all worked up over?"

He flaps his wings, twisting to point over her shoulder. Whatever it is, he's really trying to get away. "Oh, no you don't!" she warns, tucking him closer to her. "I don't want you getting lost."

Still, Piplup carries on. His flailing feet keep hitting her in the stomach. "Piplup!" He doesn't even seem to register her scolding.

Dawn sighs. Time for her failsafe. She untangles an arm so she can pat his head. As usual, that calms him enough to stop shrieking.

When he relaxes, she loosens her grip. "Now, can you try to explain calmly-"

Too late. Piplup takes advantage of her guard dropping. Before she can trap him again, he's on the move. Dawn sprints after him. "Hey! You come back here right now, mister!"

Unsurprisingly, he doesn't listen. In fact, his stride doesn't even falter when she yells. She's beginning to regret all the speed training she's given him. It's all she can do to keep him in sight, with all the other Pokemon around.

Still, she follows him. Piplup really is a loyal partner. If he's this upset, it's probably something important. Also, she'd never compete without him!

Just as Dawn slows, winded, she catches view of Piplup. Whatever he wanted, he's found it. Dawn steps forward to get a closer look. Just her luck. He's pecking at some poor coordinator's leg.

The victim reaches down and picks him up. Now Piplup begins yanking towards _her_. Dawn races to the unfortunate trainer, who's elegant cloak is taking quite a beating.

"Heh. I'm assuming this is yours?" he asks. She nods. "I'm so sorry! Piplup seems really interested in you!" She takes him from the boy's arms. "That wasn't very nice", she admonishes. Piplup shrinks.

She looks back to the coordinator, who's staring. He looks almost startled. Poor guy.

Dawn straightens her back. Despite all that, it's never too late to make a good impression. "Thank you so much for catching Piplup! I'm Dawn, from Sinnoh, by the way."

The boy brings one hand to his mouth. "So it _is_ you!" he breathes.

She flinches. "Um, do you know me?" She's sure she's never seen this guy before. Ugh, why did Piplup have to choose a freaky boy out of everyone in the room?

The coordinator adjusts his glasses. "Indeed I do! Don't you remember me, number 28?" he drawls. Dawn blinks. Number 28? Was that a dig at what placement she'd get?

She wracks her brain. Suddenly, the reference rings a bell. Memories of competing in her first tag battle floods back to her. She takes in the green hair, good posture, confident tone. Suddenly, she bolts upright. No _way._

"Hold _on_. Conway?"

The boy smirks. "The one and only."

Her jaw drops. It really is him! They'd become closer after Ash left, though she still didn't always understand him. When she left to pursue life as a coordinator, they lost touch. No wonder Piplup was freaking out; they haven't run into him in years!

"I'm surprised you came here all the way from Sinnoh." he says. "It's quite a trip."

She has to laugh. "Is it really a shock to you? You're here too after all!" 

Conway nods. "Hm. True."

It's almost impossible to connect the coordinator before her to the Conway she knew years ago. He's much taller now; she has to look noticeably higher to meet his eye. Stranger still, his hair is neatly combed into a ponytail as opposed to the ragged mop he used to sport. He looks really professional. She gulps. Oh, boy. He's _handsome._

Dawn shakes her head. _Cool it! He's your competitor, remember?_ And on top of that, he's probably still the same awkward kid from years ago, nothing to swoon over. "So, you're a coordinator now?" she tries.

Conway nods again. "Yes. I tried gym battling for a while, but found that contests were more my speed. You get to use your head more, after all!" He finishes the sentence with a knowing smile that makes her head spin. 

The cheesy, empty grin he was known for is nowhere to be found. Though the confident glint in his eyes is still there, his expression is full of genuine _happiness_. She feels like she's seeing him for the first time, and she thinks she likes it.

"Um, y-yeah", she responds lamely. Jeez, she can barely function. _Focus!_

She tries to think. What does she remember about him that they can talk about? 

Before she can come up with anything, the loudspeaker overhead crackles to life. _"Attention all competitors. The second round will begin shortly. Your matches are displayed on the screen."_

A typical branch chart shows up on the wall. Dawn scans for her photo, then for who she's going to be against. 

She's surprised. Pleasantly so.

"Well, this will be interesting, won't it?" Conway muses, staring at their matched pictures. "I never did get to battle you properly when were were kids."

Dawn grins. "Well, you'll get your chance!" 

He smiles back, and eagerly offers a hand to shake. "I look forward to it!"

Dawn feels warmth blossom in her chest. _There's_ the Conway she remembers. Though the oddly social boy she's speaking to isn't unwelcome (not by a _long_ shot), she'd missed the dork from Sinnoh. After a thoughtful pause, she takes it.

No matter what happens, she has a feeling this battle is going to be memorable.

~•~•~•~

_"Alright, folks! Next up, we have Dawn versus Conway!"_

Dawn walks in, head held high. She glances at Conway on the other side, and hides a little laugh. He looks just as excited as she feels.

As the announcer explains the usual rules, she lets the noise fade into the background. Taking a couple of deep breaths always centers her focus. Though she's fighting an old friend, she's still going to give it her all!

_"Ready? Begin!"_

Dawn whips out her Pokeball. "Alright, Piplup! Spotlight!" 

He flips into the middle of the battlefield with a chirp, and she smiles. Her Pokemon always was a sucker for being the center of attention.

On the other end, she hears, "Okay, Slowking! Appear!"

Dawn nods. She'd guessed that she might be outclassed in size with Piplup, but they're certainly faster, especially if she scores the first move. "Use Bubble Beam!" she calls.

Piplup leaps into the air. "Piplup!" 

"Psychic", Conway commands. Dawn smiles. Grabbing her Pokemon wouldn't do much now; the attack has already been launched! She waits for Piplup to freeze, but he hits the ground without an issue.

Instead, the bubbles come to a stop, one by one. "Now, throw them at Piplup!", he states.

Dawn flails. That's one of his oldest tricks! How did she forget about it? "Dodge it, Piplup!" He chirps an affirmative, and jumps into the air.

Luckily, the repurposed attack misses. While he's in the air, Dawn comes up with something Conway can't dodge. "Piplup! Get as far as you can, and use Surf!"

The massive wave that forms makes her flinch. There's no avoiding that!

"Protect!" he counters, and Slowking summons a shield. The water crashes into him, but there's no damage done. Dawn grits her teeth. She needs to catch him with his guard down!

Wait. Maybe, she thinks, she can use his Protect in their favor. "Bounce off the shield, Piplup!" He does, flying back up again.

As soon as the wave turns to mist, Conway drops the defense. Dawn clenches one fist. Exactly what she'd hoped! "Now, turn, and use Surf again!"

There's no time to get out of the way. The wave hits Slowking head on.

 _"That looks like it hurt!"_ the announcer crows. _"And a smart move on Dawn's part!"_

She smiles. "Nice one, Piplup!" 

Arceus, she'd forgotten how much she _loved_ battling him. Unlike other one-trick-ponies she's faced in the past, he always has one more ace up his sleeve.

Conway adjusts his glasses. "Use Trick Room!"

Dawn yelps. That's not good! Her main advantage right now is speed. "Keep your eye on Slowking!" she warns.

"Piplup!"

She watches the twisting illusions engulf the battle field. This specific move always made her skin crawl, but there's no time to be nervous!

"Okay, now use Bubble Beam!"

"Psybeam!"

The attacks meet in the middle with a resounding crash, and she can't see for a moment. "Piplup, are you okay?" she yells into the smoke.

There's no reply. She gulps. Did he faint? "Piplup?"

A little blue bundle flies towards her, landing unsteadily on its feet. "Piplup!" he squeaks. Good, he's okay!

_"Thirty seconds remaining! This is one close battle, folks!"_

Dawn spares a glance at the scoreboard. She's ahead, but not by much. Both her and Conway have about half of their points left.

"Piplup, use Surf!" she cries. Water builds again, curling towards Slowking. Shockingly, Conway doesn't do a thing besides watch the surge. He just stands frozen in place, jaw wide. Dawn watches warily. He looks like he might _run,_ which sounds crazy, but based off of what she knows, it wouldn't be a huge surprise.

Suddenly, his gaze catches hers. She's used to his glasses blocking his expression, so it appears empty. However, she can see his face perfectly now. He smirks minutely. She gulps. The change is bordering on nonexistent, but the flash in his eyes is downright _dangerous._

"Slowking. Surf." His voice is almost a growl.

She sees Piplup falter, but he keeps up the attack nonetheless. Slowking rumbles, and one wave hits the other. Hers is noticably larger because she got the upper hand, yet it's still pushing through to Piplup. She goes to give him another command, but it's too late.

_"Time's up!"_

The waves break, and both coordinators are drenched.

Dawn tries to catch her breath. "You did great, Piplup!" she gasps. He chirps tiredly. They performed well, but Conway was much tougher to outsmart then she expected. She's honestly not sure who's going to come out on top.

_"And the winner is..."_

Piplup jumps into her arms for a good luck hug.

_"Dawn, by a hair!"_

She beams as the crowd breaks into cheers. She made it to round two! As she turns to leave (no use sticking around now that the battle's over), she sends Piplup back into his Pokeball to rest.

Walking back into the belly of the stadium is surreal. Compared to the wild screams outside, it's almost too quiet. She sighs. That was crazy! Conway had real talent.

"Dawn!" a familiar voice calls. She turns around to see Conway half walking, half sliding up the hall.

He looks soaked to the bone, though she's sure she is too. His coat is thrown haphazardly over his arm, and she can't help but notice how nice 'disheveled' looks on him. On top of that, he seems almost giddy with post-battle nerves. He used to get so grumpy after a loss! "You're a worthy opponent!" he says.

She laughs. "You were great too! I really thought you had me for a second!" He's certainly improved since the last time they fought against each other.

He tilts his head. "Really? I was certain you had a plan the whole time!"

She gapes. "No way! When you called a Surf to counter mine, I freaked out!" She's revealing too much, but she can't find it in her to care. "I didn't know Slowking could even _use_ Surf!" 

He stares at her blankly for a moment. She panics. Was that a dumb thing to say? She really didn't know it was possible.

A tiny sound bubbles from the back of his throat, and before she can react, it's lifted into a giggle.

Dawn freezes. Conway laughed a lot around her as a kid, but it was always a mildly disturbing chuckle. Whatever's escaping from him now sounds like sunshine personified. It's _gorgeous._

Despite that, she snaps, "What's so funny?" She hates being seen as a joke.

"I", he gasps, "I've never used it before!"

Her jaw drops. " _Huh?"_

"Well, I've practiced it plenty, of course, but I've never used it in battle. I don't like offensive moves. However, you pulled off another Surf, and Slowking was too exhausted to Protect again. It was the most logical choice."

She smiles. Always the strategist. "That's really smart. Though, you looked pretty frightened to me." Come on, she _has_ to tease him a bit!"

He ducks his head. "Well, I might have also panicked a little." He crosses his arms. "But just a little!"

Just the thought of a panicked Conway makes her laugh too. She still has vivid memories of what she mentally refers to as 'The Shadow Punch Incident'. If that was freaking out, he's grown more than she thought.

"I'm sorry I scared you!" she yelps through giggles.

"That's all part of the game, I suppose." His tone has grown calm. They glance at each other for a split second, and both get swept up in laughter again.

Dawn thinks absently that they must look pretty stupid, giggling in an empty hall like this, but she's having too much fun to give much thought to it.

"You looked so sure of yourself through the rest of the battle!" she wheezes. "Were you even concerned about my skill?"

He lets out a joyous cackle. "Merely a ruse. You may not have noticed, but Slowking sure did. I thought she was going to scold me right there for being reckless!"

Just as he says this, his Slowking trots around the corner.

She gives him a teasing look. "You left her behind?"

He chuckles. "No. She just likes being alone after battles. She comes back when she's ready." The Pokemon huffs and falls against Conway's leg.

She laughs yet again. "She looks tired."

Conway nods. "I bet she is. Piplup really gave her a struggle." With that, he clicks open a Pokeball. "Do you want a rest?" Instead of agreeing, his Slowking gives him impressively convincing puppy eyes.

He sighs. "Fine."

Dawn raises an eyebrow. "What's 'fine'?"

Conway shoots her an exasperated but affectionate look. "Slowking would rather be held than trapped in a Pokeball. If she were the size of your Piplup, it wouldn't be an issue." He hoists the Pokemon up into his arms with a labored groan. " _Clearly,_ she takes a little more effort."

Slowking nuzzles into his chest. Conway chuckles. "However, it makes her happy, so it's worth it."

She wants to squeal, but manages somehow to bite it back. He's such a _sweetheart!_

 _"All winners of round one, please report back to the waiting room for your new partner."_ the announcer blares.

Conway laughs. "Well, you'd better get back. It was nice to see you again, Dawn."

She sighs. "Yeah. Nice to see you too!"

He nods, and lumbers away, Slowking still in his arms. Dawn watches him for a moment, realizing that this is probably the first time she's really felt sad to see him go.

When he's out of her sight, she collapses against the wall. A vivid picture of that cursed _smirk_ of his flies through her head, and she feels her face burn.

Arceus, she's in _so_ much trouble.

**Author's Note:**

> https://nerdinsandals.tumblr.com/post/148947596217/coordinator-conway-reference-sheets-because-i
> 
> Here's the reference! There's also another one that's pink and it's gorgeous, but I didn't see that one until after I wrote this (read: Just now when I was finding the link). Anyway, hope you enjoyed!


End file.
